A policewoman has appeared in court accused of misconduct linked to CCTV footage of an alleged disturbance near the home of Liverpool and England footballer Steven Gerrard.

Pc Helen Jones, 31, is alleged to have recovered the footage of an incident involving the millionaire player while off-duty.

It has been reported that an altercation took place with another man after Gerrard got out of his Range Rover outside a shop near his home in Formby, Merseyside, last August.

Today, Jones, dressed all in black, stood in the dock at Sefton Magistrates' Court in Bootle, Merseyside, accused of misconduct in a public office on August 8 last year.

Full details of the alleged offence were not given during the brief five-minute hearing and no plea was entered.

The offence can only be dealt with by a judge and jury at a higher court but it was not sent to Liverpool Crown Court, as is routine for cases heard at Sefton.

The clerk of the court said: "I understand that, given the circumstances of the case, there's been arrangements for it to be listed at Preston Crown Court in two weeks."

Roderick Jones, defending Jones, said his client wants the case to come to trial "as soon as possible".

Granting the defendant bail, chair of the bench Ron Barker, said: "As you have heard, this will be sent for a plea and case management hearing at Preston Crown Court, you will appear there on the 23rd of January and the bail conditions will be as they are at the moment."

Jones nodded and left the dock.

Her bail conditions are that she lives and sleeps at an address in Chatham, Kent, and informs Merseyside Police of any change of address.